Earth scraping, transporting, spreading, and leveling apparatus



May 29, 1951 c. EVANS EARTH SCRAPING, TRANSPORTING, SPREADING AND LEVELING APPARATUS Filed June 28, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 6221mm L.EZ4/ll5.'

May 29, 1951 c. LUEVANS 7 2,554,698

EARTH SCRAPING, TRANSPORTING, smmnmc,

AND LEVELING APPARATUS Filed June 28, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 "D 315 -E 1% A 15' 1 ATTOEJVEYAS',

May 29, 1951 c. L. EVANS 2,554,698

EAREH SCRAPING, TRANSPORTING, SPREADING,

v AND LEVELING APPARATUS Filed June 28, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTOFA/EYS Patented May 29, 1951 UNITED EARTH SCRAPING, TRANSPORTING,

SPREADING, AND LEVELING APPA- RATUS Carroll L. Evans, Tipton, Calif.

Application June 28, 1948, Serial No. 35,654

The present invention relates to improvements in an earth scraping, transporting, spreading and levelling apparatus. It consists of the combinations, constructions and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide an apparatus having a wide range of use for digging or scraping material, transporting the material as the apparatus is advanced, discharging the material 7 and spreading the latter to desired depths, all of these operations being under direct control of the operator. The apparatus is designed to be towed by a suitable draft vehicle, such as a tractor. A single controller is provided on the draft vehicle within easy reach of the operator, and the various functions of the apparatus can be performed with rapidity and ease to meet the requirements.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features of my invention will be particularly set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my apparatus illustrated in scraping or digging position;

Figures 2 and 3 are rear and front viewsthereof, respectively;

Figure 4 is a top plan view;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of my apparatus disclosed in transporting position;

Figure 6 is a side elevation with parts in section.

showing the apparatus in spreading and levelling position;

Figure 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of Figure 5;

Figures 8 and 9 are oblique views of the bucket and gate, respectively, that I employ;

Figure 10 is a side elevation of a modified form of the bucket-operating link; and

Figure 11 is a side elevation illustrating a modification of the gate-operating link.

While I have shown only the preferred forms of my invention, it should be understood that various changes, or modifications, may be made within the scope of the annexed claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a chassis indicated generally at A, which is adapted to be towed by a suitable draft vehicle,

such as a tractor B. Broadly speaking, this. chassis has a bucket C and a gate D supported.

thereon, both of which are operated by a hydraulic ram E. The latter is actuated by a hy- 3 Claims; (01. 37-129) draulic pump F mounted on the tractor, the valve controller ll] of the pump being within easy reach of the tractor operator. Conduits H and I2 extend from this pump, and are alternately employed as pressure and return lines.

The conduits II and I2 communicate with opposite ends of a cylinder I4, forming part of the hydraulic ram. When fluid is delivered through the conduit l I to the rear portion of the cylinder, a piston rod [5 of the ram is extended outwardly relative to the cylinder. At the same time, fluid is returned from the forward portion of the cylinder through the conduit l2 and back to the pump F. On the other hand, when fluid is delivered from the pump to the forward portion of the cylinder 14 by way of the conduit E2, the

piston rod IE will be retracted, and fluid will be exhausted from the rear portion of the cylinder l4 and returned over the line I I to the hydraulic pump. The valve controller I0 and the pump F are conventional in design and their operations are well understood in the art to which they pertain.

Referring now to the chassis A in more detail, it will be noted a substantially rectangularshaped main frame is provided, which includes side members l6 that are interconnected by transverse beams l1 and a draft tongue Ila. The latter is fashioned with an eye [8, which may be coupled to a draw-bar IS on the tractor by a pintle pin 20. Thus the draw-bar of the tractor constitutes the support for the forward end of the chassis.

In order to support the rear end of the chassis.

transversely between the side members 16 of the chassis and side panels 25. The latter extend rearwardly from the front plate 24 and are provided with trunnions 26, which are journalled in bearings 21 mounted on the side members It. The gate is swingable into various angular positions about the horizontal axes of the trunnions 26 by means and for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

The bucket Cis defined by parallel side walls 28, a rear wall 29, and a bottom plate 30, The front 3| of the bucket is open, except when the gate D is lowered to form a closure thereover (see Figure 5). The side panels 25 of the gate are pivotallyconnected by bolts 32 to the side walls 3 ward portion of the bottom plate 30 is fashioned with a sharpened edge 33. This edge is adapted for cutting or digging into the ground 34 when the bucket is lowered into the position shown in Figure 1 and the chassis A is advanced.

The forward part of the chassis is provided with bearings 35 in which a 'main shaft 36 is journalled. This shaft has a crank arm 31 fixed thereto so as to rotate the shaft. The piston rod H of the hydraulic ram E is pivotally con nected to the crank arm 31 by mans'of a' 3B. The rear part of the cylinder 14 0f the ram is pivotally connected by a bolt 39 to a bracket 40 fixed to and rising from one of the cross beams I! (see Figure 6). v

The opposing ends of the main shaft 36 havea pair of bell-cranks G fixed thereto. The short arms M of these bell-cranks are pivotally connected by bolts 42 to gate-operating links H at the forward ends of the latter. The rear endsof these links are pivotally secured by stud 43 to the side panels 25 of the gate D. The long arms 44 of the bell-cranks G are pivotally connected by bolt 45 to the forward ends of bucket=operating links J. The rear ends of the latter links are pivotally connected by studs 46 to the side walls of the bucket C.

Figure discloses a modified form of a bucket operating link J, which may be used in place of the links J previously described. These modified links are provided with turnbuckles 41 of conven-' tional design in order to allow adjustmentof the overall length of the links. Likewise, Figure 11 illustrates a modification of a gate 'operating link E. It will be understood that the latter may be substituted for the links H hereinbefore de scribed. The links H are provided with turn buckles 38 for the purpose of permitting the over all length of these links to be adjusted.

Having thus described the various parts of my apparatus the operation and use" thereof are briefly described as follows:

Assuming that the chassis A is coupled to the drawbar IQ of the tractor B, and the valve con troller l0 occupies the digging position indi= cated in Figure 1, it will be observed that the" bucket C has'its cutting edge 33 disposed below the surface 34 and the gateD occupies a raised position to uncover the open front 3| of the bucket. As the apparatus is advanced, a load of material 34a will be guided into the bucket. The cutting edge33 can be adjusted to serve as a ground leveller, if desired. 7

After a load of dirt has been picked up by the bucket, the operator can shift the ralv'e" controller to the carrying position (seejFigure 1). This will allow the hydraulic pump F to deliver fluid over the conduit I l to the rear portion of the cylinder M. A corresponding withdrawal of fluid will be accomplished from the forward portion of the cylinder 14, which will be returned by the conduit l2 to'the hydraulic pump. As a result, the piston rod IE will be extended relative to the cylinder l4 until it occupies the position disclosed in Fig-" ure 5.

This extension of the piston rod l5 will swing the crank arm 31 and bell-cranks G in a clock-' wise direction, resulting in pulling the gate-operating links H and the bucket ope'rating links J forwardly until they reach the positions shown in Figure 5. This forward movement of the links H swings the gate'D about its trum'nons' 26 until the gate forms a closure over the open front pull on the links J causes the bucket C to swing about the bolts 32, which are arranged between the side panels of the gate and the side walls 28 of the bucket. At this time, the apparatus is in transporting position, and the load can be transferred to the location where it is to be dumped or spread.

When the operator on the tractor desires to dump the load of material, the valve controller is moved into the dumping position shown in Figure 1. This will allow the pump F to discharge more fluid through the conduit II to the rear portion of the cylinder [4 and withdraw a corresponding amount of fluid through the conduit I2 from the front portion of the cylinder H.- This caus'es a further extension of the piston rod 15 tsee Figure 6), resulting in moving the bucket C toward vertical position so as to discharge the load of material 34a therefrom. The edge 33 of thebucket maybe' employed for levelling the discharge load, or used. for scraping the ground to level the latter.

After the load of material has been discharged, the operator may return the valve controller ID to carrying position or to digging position, depending upon thework to be accomplished.

It should be noted that the links H constitute positive means for swinging the gate D about its trunnions 26; also, the links J provide positive means for moving the bucket C about the pivotal bolts 32 arranged between the gate and bucket. The provision of the links H and J in pairs insures swinging of the gate andbucket without binding or creating twisting strains on the gate and bucket. The single valve controller unit F- is arranged on the tractor B so as to be actuated under direct control of the operator.

I claim:

1'. In an earth scraping, transporting, spreading and levelling apparatus: a chassis frame; a gate journalled on said frame for swinging about a horizontal axis; the gate including a front plate extending transversely relative to said frame and side panels extending rearwardly of the gate journals; a bucket anchored to and pivotally supported by the Side panels on a horizontal axis disposed rearwardly with respect to the gate journ'als; the bucket having an open front provided with a cutting edge; the gate being swingable on its journals into lowered position in which it forms a closure over the open front of the bucket, during which movement the pivotal anchorage between the side panels and the bucket positively operates to elevate the forward end of the bucket; the gate also being swingable into raised position on its journals to uncover the front of the bucket, during which movement the pivotal anchorage between the side panels and bucket positively operates to lower the forward end of the bucket; a main shaft journ'alled on the chassis frame; means for turning the shaft in either direction about its axis; a bell-crank fixed to said shaft and movable therewith; a gate-operating link pivotally connected above the main shaft to one arm of the bell-crank and to the gate above the gate journals for positively raising and lowering the gate relative to the bucket when said shaft is turned in the desired direction; and a bucket-opcrating link pivotally connected to the other arm of the bell=crank and to the bucket at a point rearwardly of thepivotal anchorage between the side panels and the bucket for positively raising and lowering the bucket when said shaft is turned 3| of the bucket so asto retain the load or ma terial 34a in the bucket. Meanwhile the forward in the desired direction.

' 2. In aneartn scra ingytrans orting, spread posed rearwardly with respect to the gate journals; the bucket having an open front provided with a cutting edge; the gate being swingable on its journals into lowered position in which it forms a closure over the open front of the bucket, during which movement the pivotal anchorage between the side panels and the bucket positively operates to elevate the forward end of the bucket;

the gate also being swingable into raised position on its journals to uncover the front of the bucket, during which movement the pivotal anchorage between the side panels and bucket positively operates to lower the forward end of the bucket; a main shaft journalled on the chassis frame; means for turning the shaft in either direction about its axis; a pair of bell-cranks fixed to said shaft and movable therewith; a pair of gate-operating links pivotally connected above the main shaft to the bell-cranks and to said side panels above the gate journals on opposite sides of the gate for positively raising and lowering the gate relative to the bucket when said shaft is turned in the desired direction; and a pair of bucketoperating links pivotally connected to the bellcranks and to opposite sides of the bucket at points rearwardly of the pivotal anchorage between the side panels and the bucket for positively raising and lowering the bucket when said shaft is turned in the desired direction.

3. In an earth scraping, transporting, spreading and levelling apparatus; a chassis frame; a gate journalled on said frame for swinging about a horizontal axis; the gate including a front plate extending transversely relative to said frame and side panels extending rearwardly of the gate journals; a bucket anchored to and pivotally supported by the side panels on a horizontal axis disposed rearwardly with respect to the gate journals; the bucket having an open front provided with a cutting edge; the gate being swingable on its journals into lowered position in which it forms a closure over the open front of the bucket, during which movement the pivotal anchorage between the side panels and the bucket positively operates to elevate the forward end of the bucket; the gate also being swingable into raised position on its journals to uncover the front of the bucket, during which movement the pivotal anchorage between the side panels and bucket positively operates to lower the forward end of the bucket; a main shaft journalled on the chassis frame; means for turning the shaft in either direction; gate-operating means pivotally connected to the gate panels at a point above the gate journals and operated by said shaft for positively raising and lowering the gate relative to the bucket when said shaft is turned in the desired direction; and bucket-operating means connected to the bucket at a point rearwardly of the pivotal connection between the gate-operating means and the gate,

and also operated by said shaft for positively raising and lowering the bucket when said shaft is turned in the desired direction.

CARROLL L. EVANS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,253,808 Petrucci Aug. 26, 1941 2,302,335 Low Nov. 17, 1942 2,380,021 Brown et al July 10, 1945 2,411,688 Keim et al Nov. 26, 1946 

